Hives : symptoms and treatment

This condition is fortunately not serious but very annoying because it is terribly itchy.

"To be mad," you hear in many forums.

Not everyone knows what it is.

Many people think it is contagious or related to a lack of hygiene, so patients often feel embarrassed when the condition is visible in public.

Obviously, galbultes do not look good, but in this article we explain that they cause inconvenience to the person themselves.

Our fingers itch to inform you about the symptoms, causes and treatment of hives.

What is hives?

Hives is a form of skin rash with pale pink, swollen areas (fluid accumulations) appear on the skin.

These bumps are also called gallops, or eccentricity.

The medical term is urticarial. This comes from the word 'urtica', the Latin name for nettle. Nettle rash resembles the skin reaction of someone who grabs a stinging nettle.

A quarter of people ever have to deal with this condition. It is one of the most common skin conditions.

It is just as common in men as in women.

Difference between hives, shingles and hives

Hives should not be confused with shingles and scotch. It all ends with dandruff, which means 'redness' or 'inflammation'.

Shingles is a viral skin infection disease caused by chickenpox virus, which usually occurs in the elderly and people with low resistance.

Wondrous (bellows) is an inflammation of the skin by a bacterium, which often finds its way in through a wound on the skin. This is often accompanied by fever and the wound rose lasts for at least a week.

Symptoms hives

Nettle is both in acute form and in chronic form. The acute form is by far the most common.

The skin rash in acute hives is set up quickly, often within half an hour.

Small red spots become red bumps or pale bumps with a red edge, and give stubborn itching.

These swelling of the skin are also called "baddles". In the bumps is sticky, yellow-green pus (bile).

Usually the affected areas are the arms, the legs, the trunk and the face.

Some spots are small and others larger. The spots can also coalesce into larger areas. Often sweeping / streaking is also visible.

Usually the itching disappears again after a few hours and the bumps are gone within 48 hours.

With hives, the face (eyes, lips) and mucous membranes in the mouth and throat cavity can also swell.

Sometimes you cannot wear clothing on your skin with this condition, which is of course extremely impractical.

You can feel very bad next to the itching due to complaints such as abdominal pain, headaches and nausea / vomiting.

 

In children, hives also occur, especially in children between 1 and 4 years.

If it lasts longer than 6 weeks we speak of chronic (persistent) hives.

This can continue for years, usually with a maximum of 5 years.

You then have seizures of angioedema (swelling of the blood vessels under the influence of the substance histamine).

The acute form of hives is much more common than the chronic form. Especially in people with an atopic constitution. This means that due to hereditary factors you have a tendency to develop allergies and eczema.

With chronic hives you can get many additional complaints such as heavy fatigue, headaches, joint pain and intestinal inflammations.

Causes hives

The condition is the result of a hypersensitivity reaction. 9 times out of 10 it is an allergic reaction.

The hives usually occur as a result of swelling in the dermis. This is the skin under the epidermis.

The dermis includes solid connective tissue, nerves, blood vessels and the most important part of the defense mechanism of the skin.

The substance histamine is stored in the skin cells. In case of an allergic reaction (a stimulus) this substance is released and then causes dilation of the blood vessels, resulting in redness and fluid retention.

Hives can occur after (in) tension, stress and psychological problems. In that case it is also called 'exercise nettle rose'.

Sun can also cause it when the sun triggers the allergic reaction.

This also applies to cold and heat. Hives due to a hypersensitivity reaction to cold is called 'cold hives'.

The condition can also be an allergic reaction to certain foods. For example, it can be fruit such as strawberry or mandarin.

But fish, eggs, chocolate or beer can also 'trigger' the reaction. In these products is the dust that we mentioned earlier: histamine.

Sometimes pressure on the skin or friction of clothing can cause gall bumps. This form of hives is called 'nettle rose factitive'.

Medications such as antibiotics can cause an allergic reaction such as hives.

During pregnancy you can also suffer from hives due to hormonal disorders.

Certain diseases that affect the resistance can result in hives. For example, metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases and viral infections.

Think of hepatitis B, HIV, tropical diseases, Pfeiffer, rheumatism, Hodgkin's disease and diabetes.

With chronic hives, in many cases the cause is unknown, which can be very frustrating for the patient.

Is hives contagious?

Hives may look fierce; it is not contagious.

Do you suffer from it during pregnancy, then you do not have to worry because it does not affect the baby.

Treating and preventing hives

A doctor will try to find the cause of the hives by means of a number of questions. If the hives last a long time, various tests can be done.

Think of blood tests, research into urine and faces, allergy tests, bacterial cultures and X-rays.

Often anti-allergies are prescribed such as anti-histamine tablets and menthol gel against the itching.

Other drugs used in hives are for example prednisone, travail, and hydrocortisone and cortisone ointment.

With chronic hives, scarring often occurs. These can be treated with a dermatologist, for example with laser therapy.

If you want to become pregnant and suffer from chronic hives, inform your doctor about the type of medication used. Not all medication (actually rather nothing at all) is possible without risks for the unborn child.

A few tips that will promote healing and help prevent a new 'outbreak':

Crabs are very tempting, but do not start because it only makes the nettle rose worse!

Cold compresses or baths illuminate with hives.

Be careful with the use of alcohol and painkillers as aspirin. They can make the allergy worse.

Avoid sun and heat.

Take a step back when stress is the cause of hives.

Avoid processed and high-sugar foods. You can also follow a histamine-poor diet. The chance is smaller than you get an attack of angioedema. There are many histamine-free recipes available on the internet.

Natural remedies for hives are, for example, after sun, cardiflor ointment, cream bio force based on wool fat (from sheep) and essential oil from lavender.

In the homeopathy, hives are also treated. The acute form of hives is a lot easier to treat than the chronic form.

If you or your child often have hives, it is advisable to keep a diary with the course of the condition.

Are you one of the many people who suffer from hives?

What have you done to not go crazy about the itching?

We are curious about your tips and experiences!